Preview: Faustus

April 1-3, 7-9, 8:00 p.m.

Loeb Mainstage

Directed by Illinca Radulian ’11

Produced by Annie E.M. McGrath ’13

With actors splashing paint and navigating through water onstage, it’s safe to say that the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s (HRDC) version of Christopher Marlowe’s “Faustus” is anything but traditional. “Faustus” is the story of a man who, in a search for eternal knowledge and power, sells his soul to the devil but is soon plagued by regret and uncertainty. The production uses aesthetic elements to convey the characters’ predicaments visually. “The staging isn’t realistic, or particularly natural. We’re trying to make it as metaphorical as possible, and paint is a fantastic medium for that,” says director Ilinca Radulian ’11.

HRDC’s adaptation of the show also breaks with the traditional by placing females in conventionally male roles. Isabel Q. Carey ’12, who plays Mephistopheles, a devil summoned bv Faustus, says that this feature brings a different perspective to her role in particular. “I think it colors the relationship between Mephistopheles and Faustus in a very interesting way. It helps me make the character more dynamic as I navigate between being both a symbol of evil and a former human with personable qualities,” she says. Also playing traditionally male roles are Vanessa B. Koo ’12, Kelly E. Perron ’11, and Darcy C. Donelan ’14, who together play Lucifer. “There are a lot of power imbalances and power struggles in the show, and playing around with gender roles makes it a lot more interesting,” says Koo.

The version of “Faustus” premiering in the Loeb next week is a radical adaptation of the original, which allows for more comedic moments and a different tone altogether. “We tried to make it as simple as possible,” says Nasir W. Husain ’12, who plays the title character. “What I would hope is that the audience is moved by a love story built out of a text that wasn’t necessarily designed to be a love story."